The National Hockey League and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at protecting the integrity of professional hockey and the prediction markets built around it. The agreement, signed on May 21 by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, creates a formal framework for the two organizations to cooperate on identifying fraud and manipulation risks in sports-based event contracts.
This makes the NHL the second major US sports league to cut such a deal with the CFTC, following Major League Baseball’s similar agreement back in March.
From licensing deals to regulatory handshakes
The NHL has been moving faster than its peers on the prediction market front. Back in October 2025, the league signed licensing agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket, becoming the first major US sports league to formally partner with prediction market platforms. Kalshi alone recorded $1.3 billion in trading volume on NHL-related markets in the twelve months leading up to May 2026.
The agreement allows both parties to share information, coordinate on suspicious activity, and work together to protect game integrity.
